I almost couldn’t write this review because I was too busy dancing at this show. Hockey’s new single “Defeat on the Double Bass Line” may be more of a ballad, but it’s the minority in their catchy pop melody repertoire. Their past show at Glasslands featured many of the new songs off their forthcoming full length Wyeth IS, plus some of their older jams like “Too Fake” and “Calling Back,” and from the movement of the crowd I’d say nobody…

Publisher's Note: So many bands. So little time. Kristen Blanton, a newly minted Austin resident, spent most of her week going from concert to concert and interview to interview. She's exhausted, poor kid. So, I've taken the liberty of selecting some of the best new bands we saw there for this recap. The words are hers. The choices are mine. When the four Englishmen took stage, before lead singer Joe Newman could even say, “Hello, We’re Alt-J” the crowd had lost…

As Saturday arrived, we could feel tension of the end approaching. All the friends we’d made bouncing from showcase to showcase were about to go home - off to start recording, back to real jobs on Monday, back on the road. For six days, SXSW has bred one full family of music enthusiasts. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been a treat. In the morning over on South Congress, people were jiving. The eclectic area was full of food trailers, vintage…

Everyone is sunburned. The streets of downtown Austin are congested. Yet bands are chatting with their fans, their fans meeting other fans, making friends, sharing beers, it’s a beautiful sight. SXSW perpetuates a synthesis of good music and good people. Here at South By, you really can’t have one without the other. Friday’s lineup of music has to be the most impressive to date. We made our was to Lamar and 6th Street where Austin’s iconic Waterloo Records had set…